Nigerian Osaremen Okolo named as a member of Biden's Covid-19 response team

NIGERIAN-American health policy adviser Osaremen Okolo has been appointed as a member of US president-elect Joe Biden's Covid-19 Response Team with a mandate to ensure all Americans are vaccinated against the virus next year.

On January 20, Mr Biden will assume office as the 46th US president and between now and then, he will seek to make all the necessary appointments to ensure his administration hits the ground running. One of Mr Biden's cardinal health policies is to ensure all Americans get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Ms Okolo, 26, the daughter of Nigerian immigrants, has been named as a policy advisor and is the second Nigerian to be appointed by Mr Biden. Adewale Adeyemo has been named as Mr Biden's deputy treasury secretary as part of the first 100 White House appointees.

A spokesman for Mr Biden's transition team, said: “Prior to joining the transition, Okolo served as senior health policy advisor to US Representative Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. Okolo drafted, negotiated, and managed the congresswoman’s legislation, oversight and policy across a comprehensive health care and public health agenda, most recently focusing almost exclusively on the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Ms Okolo has also served as a legislative aide for health policy on the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labour and Pensions for ranking member Patty Murray of Washington. Ms Okolo, whose parents are from Edo State, was born and raised in Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard College.

According to Mr Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris, the Covid-19 Response Team will work to quickly implement a comprehensive, whole-of-government strategy. They added that it will charged with coming up with a response strategy to contain the pandemic, restore public trust and protect all Americans.